


Gentle Hands and a Soft Voice

by Anasilan



Series: Soul bonded Lifemates [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, First Kisses, Fluff, Lifemates - Freeform, M/M, Not Canon Compliant, Post Corypheus, Pre-Trespasser, Requited Love, Self-Indulgent, Sickness, Tooth Rotting Fluff, pure fluff, soul mates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23275288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anasilan/pseuds/Anasilan
Summary: Cullen suddenly comes over ill during training, who comes to help nurse him back to health?
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Original Female Character(s), Dorian Pavus/Male Trevelyan
Series: Soul bonded Lifemates [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1673734
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Gentle Hands and a Soft Voice

**Author's Note:**

> Blame this on being house bound, or whatever, but this is part one of a soul mates set of stories I’ve been working on for a while.
> 
> All unbetaed, so mistakes are my own.
> 
> I’d love to know what you think in the comments section :)

The headache was making him feel ill. It seemed to pulse back and forth from the back of his head to the front and then hang out behind his eyes. It made him more than a little short tempered, and he yelled at the new trainees, a little more than was necessary.

“Maker’s breath…” Cullen grumbled and took a step towards recruit Jim, he had trouble holding up his shield and consistently forgot to hold his sword at the appropriate height. If Cullen sent him out into the field with the rest of the army, he’d be dead with in minutes.

“Recruit Jim. Report to Lady Nightingale!” Finally having enough, he sent the young lad to Leliana. He’d apologise to her later. Much later. He reached up his hand and rubbed at the sore muscles at the back of his head and tried valiantly to not turn and throw up on Rylen’s boots. The world was spinning, so he closed his eyes for a moment and turned his head up the sky, ignoring the sounds around him.

When the world settled a bit, he opened his eyes and regarded the troops in front of him.

“Rylen. Send them twice around the battlements, full armour, before heading in for lunch.” He ordered, regretting now that he had even opened his eyes. The pain in his head pounded harder and he was finding it increasingly hard to remain standing on his feet.

It had been months since the lyrium withdrawals had hit him so hard. Longer even. This was the first since Corypheus was defeated and he had hoped that they wouldn’t return.

“Commander?” Rylen’s thick Starkhaven sounded worried. Cullen staggered a moment, and tried closing his eyes, not even opening them when the horn signalling the return of the inquisitor sounded and there was a commotion near the stairs. He leaned forward, one hand on his knee and the other clutching at his forehead. Maybe this wasn’t withdrawals... he had heard that there had been an illness going around the lower village the previous week.

“I’m okay… just give me a momen…” He crashed to his knees, the world spinning crazily.

“Commander!” Rylen’s urgent tone was heard near his ear and he felt the man’s hand grasp his shoulder. There was the sound of running feet and he cracked an eye open wide enough to see a flash of dark blue fabric, black hair and blue eyes. Then a cool hand was pressed to his forehead, and a soft voice speaking over the ringing in his ears.

“He’s burning up!” The magical voice said something else, but he couldn’t hear it, he opened his eyes all the way and squinted up at her, unable to clearly see her face because of the sun behind her. He felt the mark on his chest pinch for a moment, and saw the big eyes widen, then the world started to dim. He grabbed out for the mystery woman’s hand and held it to his chest.

“Mine.” He muttered before the world went black and he collapsed into unconsciousness.

———

Someone had run him over with several heavy carts of boulders. That was the only answer for how he was feeling right now. He kept his eyes closed and breathed through the pain in his arms and legs. Soft fingers stroked through his hair and a lyrical voice hummed to him. He cracked open his eyes and looked towards the sound. She was beautiful, rounded and rosy cheeked, full lips and a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. Her skin was a lovely warm bronze and she had a beauty mark up near her left eye.

He tried to reach out a hand to her, needing to touch her and she caught it, bringing his hand back down to his side and smiled gently down at him. He opened his mouth to say something and she just placed one finger on his lips.

“Shhhh Amatus. Shhhh. It’s okay. Sleep now.” His eyes grew heavy, and he gave in to sleep, content knowing she was there.

———

There was sun coming through the windows the next time he opened his eyes. He looked around the room, not moving his head as he didn’t want to jar himself and make the migraine return. It was blessedly gone at the moment. His entire body felt tired, but his arms and legs no longer felt like they were trying to pull themselves off and leave him.

He wasn’t in his quarters though, this withdrawal attack had apparently warranted being moved into guest quarters in the main hold, not even in with the other recovering Templars in the clinic. The room he was in was Dorian’s old room. Multicoloured Tevinter silks were still on the walls and the snake mural was still painted around the door frame. The there was the huge brazier Dorian has purloined during their first winter at Skyhold. Surely this hadn’t been the closest room to the training fields? He knew there were hardly any visitors in the hold at the moment, as Trev and Dorian had been away to Tevinter, Rivain and Antiva on an extended vacation. Bull and the Chargers had gone to join them in Rivain and Leliana and Josie when they’d arrived in Antiva. He’d thought about going to Antiva for a while, but decided that there as too much work to be done at Skyhold. He had gone to visit his sisters and brother though for a few weeks, and had thoroughly enjoyed his time with them.

He grew tired again and shuffled his shoulders back into the mattress and pillow more firmly and started to close his eyes. A slight snuffling snore caught his attention however, and he turned his head quickly to see her. He had thought he’d dreamed her.

She was wrapped in a dark blue robe, lying on her side next to him on the bed, but above the sheets. The robe had a sparkly quality to it, and was in obvious Tevinter style, the arms and shoulders held together with jewelled broaches on both sides. She was deliciously rounded and had tucked her hands up and under her face as she slept.

He wondered who she was. By the looks of her face she was exhausted, though the dark circles under here eyes no way detracted from her beauty. He reached a hand out towards her as he started to fade, grabbing onto her little finger and smiling as he sunk down into sleep once more.

———

When he next opened his eyes the light indicated early evening. Sitting up gingerly he noticed that his clothes were sitting neatly at the end of the bed and there was an andraste’s grace sitting on top of his shirt. He smiled and threw his legs over the side of the bed, stretching as he moved. There was a little tenseness in his shoulders, but on the whole he felt amazing.

Then he remembered. Looking wildly around the room properly he noticed he was completely alone and he did not like the one bit. He had to find his mystery angel. She was his and he had to be by her side. He needed to hold her. Standing he quickly yanked on his pants and tunic and shoved his feet into his boots and took off through the door.

Winding his way through the keep he ignored the greeting shouted at him, hoping that the object of his desire was in the great hall, that’s where he felt she was. He clattered down the stairs in the rotunda and slid through the door into the hall, his eyes frantically roving over the room, looking for the swirl of blue and black that would make up the lovely woman. Trev and Dorian were at the top table, lovingly feeding each other food of their plates. The other companions and advisors were all chatting, and the room seemed abnormally full. Trev and Dorian were obviously speaking to someone, but the crowds and Iron Bull’s huge back stopped him from seeing or hearing them. He took several steps forward, just enough to catch Trev’s attention, who pointed at him with his chin and gave a gentle smile.

And then the crowds were gone and she was standing there, her fingers held up to her mouth and the skin of her cheeks a darker bronze as she blushed. Then the hand moved and she smiled radiantly at him, her blue eyes sparkling and took a step towards him. That broke the freeze he had held over himself and in five steps her reached her, pulled her close and covered her lips in a kiss, feeling like his life depended on it.

Her lips were soft against his, and just as demanding. When he swiped his tongue lightly against her lip, she opened her mouth and rubbed the tip of her against his. He made a groaning noise and pulled her in tighter, angling her head so he could press her against him and kiss her with every piece of his soul. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pushed her hands through his hair and hummed against his lips and they both smiled and slowly broke apart, eyes only on each other, arms holding the other close.

He rubbed his nose against hers. “I’m Cullen Rutherford.” He whispered, before placing small, nipping kisses up her jaw to her ear.

She made a small purring sound. “I am Helena Thalrassian.” She voice was soft and musical and it made him warm inside. She turned and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

“You are mine.” He whispered.

“Just as you are mine.” She returned. He grinned and pulled her in again, bending slightly to push his face into her neck, enjoying the scent of roses and the underlying smell that could only be her. After a moment he became aware of the stares and cheering and blushing he lifted his head to look around the room. Helena buried her face in his chest and gave out a little giggle.

Dorian approached the pair of them, a wide smile on his face, and his arms open wide.

“Congratulations! I must say this was a better greeting for my cousin that I had imagined!” Cullen, still blushing, grinned at him.

“That was some kiss… makes me wish I’d had one of those too.” He threw a look over his shoulder to his lifemate, which showed that he didn’t mean what he said, and then places a hand on each of their shoulders and then leant down to kiss Helena on the cheek.

“The fates couldn’t have granted you a better man, cousin. I wish you both every happiness.” Helena turned towards him, and reached down with her hand and took Cullen’s in hers. He threaded his fingers through her and pulled her against his side, unwilling to let her go. Still blushing, he started walking towards a widely grinning Trev, happier in the moment than he could ever remember.


End file.
